Stonemaier Games: Scythe - A Strategy Board Game by Jamey Stegmaier | An Engine-Building, Area Control Strategy Game Set in Dieselpunk 1920+ Europe for Adults & Family | 1-5 Players, 115 Mins

This game looks busy, so many little pieces, so many little actions. However, it's not as it seems. I don't like overcomplicated games with convoluted rules. If I buy a game then I expect to learn it and play it, not spending time a college course equivalent of reading through and learning the rules. For the longest time, I avoided this game because of how busy it looks. Eventually, after hearing the praises by others and a 30 dollar price drop I decided to buy it. I was surprised to find a very engaging game with an efficient rule set. The system is what makes it work. If you have played enough games over the years one thing you will notice is how a few of the mechanics are borrowed. Little bits of other working games fitted in just right, like a recipe for a good meal. With that in mind, I would describe this game as a two-course meal. The action mats like the appetizer with the actions playing out on the game board like the main course. During the game, you will primarily interact with these two mechanics. First the action boards. They are laminated cardboard, unlike whole pieces, this makes them feel heavier and longer-lasting. Most of your bits and bobs fit into these mats. The small squares, most of the figures and buildings start or stay on this matt. As you play you only be interacting with parts of this mat making things much more easier to manage. Each section is just two actions so you will never have to deal with more than these two actions. The main actions on the top will either give resources or allow you to perform an action on the game board while the bottom the optional action will always cost something but will upgrade something, making things easier later or allowing you to deploy something. The player mats are mainly for reference and will be interacted with only when needed, like deploying a mech or using an inlist action giving a quick bonus or stat upgrades. The game board, this sucker is huge. Not only that but they have a larger board on the bottom that you can add to. On the game board, there are resources, tunnels, lakes and even a central factory. Using your action board you interact with the game board. Choose a move action and move a piece, choose a deploy action and deploy a worker. Using a secondary action to build/place a mech. Moving your workers onto a resource allows you to use the produce action to create resources that you can use any time to pay for costs on your action board. Doing this creates a cycle of production and paying costs to improve your possibilities. You're never doing more than one normal interaction with the game board at any one given time unless you start combat. By moving your character or mechs into spaces with your opponent's pieces starts combat. In this case, worker pieces will flee and or you fight your opponent's characters and mechs using combat cards and the combat dial. During gameplay, you will draw cards with numbers bonuses and gain power with the bolster action. Combat is easy, spend power using your dial and add power cards to add bonuses to it. Each player has the dial and cards face down, reveals them and the highest numbers win. That simple. The loser takes their peace and places them at the home base. The cost is though if you force workers to flee you will lose popularity, apparently, the people of your employer don't like seeing you bully unarmed people. Lastly on the game board are encounters. These are represented by tokens and if your player peace runs into one you draw an encounter card. These are great. Each one has three choices that are tied into one another and will put you in the situation to gain something and lose something depending on what you do. They represent great extra flavor and things that can mix things up. Combat vs peace. Despite using mechs the game is only one part combat. The other two parts being production and popularity. Combat can be useful but it's not the endgame method. The game is balanced nicely to make it so that no one player can dominate in any one given area, instead of its all about taking what you can do to push past your opponents. In this way, combat is more of a tool used only when you really need to instead of an end-all solution. A player can initiate combat just with the idea of placing a star on the victory track or just when you really need to push out an opponent from a strategic spot. The same goes for resources, you can't win just doing what an econobox does. You will need to fight sooner or later and worrying about resources gives no direct advantage. Popularity, the final component is how popular your character becomes, despite seemingly small, this is the last third of the game. In this case the more your people like you the more bonuses you get at the end of the game. The end goal is to end up the richest among your peers. You will earn some gold during the game but most of it will come from the popularity track. The multipliers on this track is a make it or break it, mechanic. Being down just one tier on this track can break a win. So popularity is very important and you need to keep in mind throughout the entire game. One thing I want to bring up though is how the game is balanced so it's very difficult for any player to truly know if they are winning. No single player during this game will be able to say they are absolutely winning. Only at the final moments of calculations will anyone truly know. In the manual, it is stated that this is done on purpose. This is great because it makes for an enjoyable experience throughout the whole game. It makes it harder for those power gamers of the world to create bad situations and makes it easier for new players to enjoy themselves. There is a rule in the game that states that at no time should any player attempt to take their turn calculating the other players. If any player takes more than 30 seconds gauging the other players they automatically lose 10 popularity. A very large penalty considering that's more than half possible. Overall I have really enjoyed this game despite my previous fears and recommend the base game for any player. For people who end up a fan than buying the expansions is definitely worth it. I got this game for 60, a great buy for a game you can easily spend 90 to 100 for at your local shop. The components despite being cardboard, plastic and wood are well made. The components even play into the rules a little to help smooth certain things over. This game is best for serious board game players but definitely accessible for people who are more casual. So give it a try and play on.

Scythe is an incredible board game of economic engine management and territory control. The components are top-notch and the art is absolutely gorgeous. It is an immersive, lengthy game with a rather steep learning curve for casual games. It is suitable for patient adults and advanced adolescents. Expect to spend about four hours familiarizing yourself with the rules and the board, and playing your first game. It may be difficult to play with a large group if your friends and family aren't fully committed to learning a fairly exhaustive (though not particularly intimidating) rulebook. "Replayability" is uncommonly high, as well, due to Scythe's rich assortment of "factions" and unpredictability. I can imagine nearly infinite ways a game could unfold. Scythe pits factions of power-hungry individuals against each other in an imaginary, post-WWI world of nearly dystopian scarcity. Players assume the roles of characters that represent different nation-states, all of which are vying for resources and territory following a period of sociopolitical unrest. Players can control character movement, select actions to increase resource production, maximize efficiency to gain power an influence, and conquer territories. Your global achievements in these arenas contribute to your final score and the game ends after a player completes six specific objectives. Played poorly, one could conceivably end the game by completing these achievements AND lose. Scythe is unique because skill is valued more than chance. On that note, luck's role is Scythe is kept to a bare minimum compared to other games in similar genres. Resource management, move/turn prioritization, and skillful board mastery are rewarded more handsomely than rote combat, of which there is surprisingly little. Combat interactions are performed using power modifiers that are mostly the result of judicious play. Mine, harvest, trade, bribe, build, conquer, pillage: Scythe has it all in spades. Of note, the "Automa" deck - a group of cards and rules designed to simulate a human opponent for solo play - is a world-class production. Its moves are intuitive, and its actions never feel random nor arbitrary. Automa feels like a living, sentient, rational opponent that is always one step ahead of you. Automa's difficultly level is also adjustable from "easy" (a loose interpretation of the word) to extraordinarily challenging, and you can buy expansion packs to play against multiple simulated players. It's a great way to spend an evening. If you're up for a completely immersive, steampunk-inspired game that values efficient choices and skill above dice rolling (not a die to be found), I highly recommend giving Scythe a try. It is a complex game of beauty that will soon be heralded amongst the best board games ever created. Very, very well done, Stonemaier Games.

Behold!! Gaze in amazement, as you have stumbled upon the greatest board game, in all the ages! Prepare yourself to be immersed in a glorious steam-punk reality of endless wonder! You my friend, are about to embark on the intrepid journey that is.... Scythe!! With the expansion pack, choose from 7 different factions, and 7 different game boards to set forth on your quest of glory! Boost your defenses, conquer your surrounding land, and take no prisoners from your enemies! I've currently played well over 100 games of scythe, which probably clocks in close to 150 hours of total game time. I can honestly say it is THE most fun board game I've played, and I'm still not tired of it. Many other board games I will vouch for as being amazing, and I've played them several times over, but at some point, even those games become a little stale, and the gameplay itself becomes boiled down to a science. Such is not the case with scythe. It's got just enough random elements to keep it fresh and new every time you play it, without making it so random that you have no control over the outcome. It's the perfect blend. And now with its most recent expansion "Wind Gambits" the game has evolved anymore. But for newcomers, don't let the expansion intimidate you. I highly recommend playing the base game of Scythe for all it's worth (which is a TON) before worrying about playing with the expansion. I am an avid board gamer, and this is truly a one of a kind game that I have yet to become bored with, and I have yet to dice up into a science. Every single game will have you attempting new strategies, and exploring new options to declare yourself the victor. One of the most exciting parts of Scythe is that when the game ends, rarely will there ever be a distinct winner before the final points have been carefully calculated. There is a Scythe app on iOS and Android that I highly recommend downloading for deciding factions at the beginning of the game, and tallying score at the end. Without going into game play detail (I'll leave that to the rulebook) What I can say is that Scythe is, on the surface, a very complex game, but once you get your feet wet and play it, it really isn't too terrifying to learn. There's only so much you can do per turn, and once you run through it a few times, you begin to see the gears of the game click and turn, and you'll have a well running engine of a faction in no time! If you're just starting out with a group of people who are also new to the game, you're going to have your questions and missteps along the way where you might find you weren't playing certain rules down to their very exact intent, but this is perfectly fine. A lot of the fun in Scythe is discovering all the things you missed, or even may have been doing incorrectly, and changing up your game for the next time. For the most part, Scythe is an incredibly balanced game. If you get into a rhythm of playing with a core group of people, you'll start to realize the few imbalances it has *cough* Industrial Rusviet *cough* and learn to play around them. Again, figuring out what each faction is good at, how to make it work with your unique play mat, and formulate the best plan of attack, are just a few of the things that make Scythe such an immersive and brilliant game that will have you wanting to re-rack the game again and again. Hour and half to two-hour sessions seem like mere minutes when you really start grasp how fun the game is. If I had one gripe about the game, it would be the amount of players that can play. It's nice that Scythe can include 7 players, especially if you have a lot of board-game savvy friends who all want to be included. But be warned! 6 or 7-player games of Scythe tend to drag on, and when that happens, more often than not, one if not more people will lose interest, and thus become unenthused with the game. And nothing kills the fun of a game, like some one who is currently playing the game and not giving a crap about it. So if you have 6 or 7 brave souls willing to stick it out, it's best that all parties involved have a vast knowledge of the game, and indeed the actually WANT to play, knowing full well what they are signing up for. The sweet spot for Scythe, seems to be around the 4-5 player mark. The games are long enough that you don't feel cheated out of an epic board game experience, but short enough that the ADD in your friends doesn't start to show itself, and manifest into playing candy crush on their phones in between turns. Scythe is a massively wonderful game of strategy that I would absolutely suggest to any board game enthusiast looking to play one of the greatest games of all time. If new to board games, I would suggest watching several Scythe tutorials on the internet or playing with some one who has played before and has a good concept of the game. Again, it's complex, but not so much that I would say anyone wanting to learn the game, wouldn't be able to, regardless of their prior knowledge of board games. If you're willing to invest a little time to learn this game, you won't be disappointed!!

Scythe is hands down my favorite board game, and it’s one I can play over and over again without ever getting tired of it. Every play feels different thanks to the combination of asymmetric factions, player mats, and multiple viable paths to victory. Whether I’m focusing on combat, economy, popularity, or careful expansion, the game always presents new strategic puzzles to solve. What really sets Scythe apart is how rewarding it feels to improve with each play. The more I play, the more I notice small optimizations, clever timing decisions, and opportunities to outthink my opponents. The balance between long-term planning and moment-to-moment choices keeps me fully engaged from start to finish. On top of that, the production quality and artwork are incredible and pull everyone at the table into its alternate-history world. Scythe consistently hits the table because it’s deep, satisfying, and endlessly replayable. If you enjoy strategic games that reward thoughtful decision-making and offer lasting replay value, Scythe is an absolute must-own.

There is a reason this game is so high on the best of all time list on boardgamegeek. I've played a ton of games, some with very little luck involved (Puerto Rico) and some with great concepts/themes, but a little TOO much luck (like HeroScape). Scythe strikes a good balance between strategic planning and the random nature of their wartorn area in an alternate history. I'd probably call it a 4x game (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate), but it feels like it does each of those concepts a little (or a lot) different than many other games out there. Combat plays out kind of like a bluffing game of poker. No dice rolling. Personally I like dice combat when it's balanced or has cards/abilities to offset pure randomness. So the combat took some getting used to, but there are pretty good incentives NOT to attack as well. Overall, it feels like you're doing your own thing with the occasional skirmish. That is apparently intentional and I like that. Terra Mystica is similar, but no combat at all in that game. Scythe is not an easy game to pick up and play. It's very easy to play the game incorrectly and sometimes the cards or rules are just vague. I had to look up a few things online when it was clear in the rulebook (or took too long). I think a lot of the confusion lies in the game design. The artwork is absolutely beautiful, but there needs to be clearer game icons and navigation. The biggest offenders are the faction/player mats and most of your time will be spent looking at these. There are symbols that don't really help define anything, can and can't actions that don't have a visually logical flow, and too much reliance on the rulebook. That last part sounds dumb, but I believe there should be visual reminders to the game's rules on the pieces, cards, and mats in front of you. One of the few games I've played that gives players a "turn order/what actions you can do" card that is almost worthless. There are also no "footstomps," in the rulebook. Important rules should be bolded, highlighted, have reminders, examples, etc. There is a terminology list at the back, but I found myself looking stuff up on my phone because it was a lot faster and the answer was clearer. One of our players struggled bad with the concept of producing since it shows that you "pay a worker" first. It's not very clear when/where/how to do something without reading the 30+ page rulebook. The inverse of that mildly bad gameflow design, is that once you get the general flow of the game, it can play pretty quickly. It took 3 of us 1 hr and 40 minutes the first time we played. Not bad considering they estimate 25 minutes per player. I know it sounds like quite a bit of complaining, but to me these are mild annoyances that are merely highlighted because the game is so fantastic.

Kinda steep learning curve starting out but once you get it, it's an amazing game. I found it more fun just to play and not worry about actually winning than anything else. For this game it's all about the journey, not the destination. I have now played 7 games. 4 of them the 1 player automata variation and 3 of them with 5 or less people. I can say the game plays just as good with 5 people as it does with 2 or 3. Also the 1 player game is really fun! It changes the way the game is played a little bit for the opposing automa and is really clever. One downside that I have found after playing numerous games. It seems that you really should put more focus into your popularity over everything else in the game. Since popularity has a strong dictation towards final score you are more likely to end up winning over the guy who has completely ignored popularity. That being said the endgame counting up points is by far my least favorite part of the game. I love the resource management and game play and honestly don't care if I win or lose because the fun I have with the game is more than enough for me. Each of the 5 included factions plays differently enough to create replayability in that fashion and there are a variety of game boards to place all of your tokens that change up the way you play as well. This game is all about managing. You have to be aware of your money, resources, military strength, popularity, zone control and a few other random things that change with each game...........I think that is why my wife beats me every.single.time. I go in all playing and just doing stuff willy nilly whereas she really takes her time contemplating what she wants to do. Either way I have a blast losing. The game by itself is strong but I HIGHLY recommend picking up the 2 expansions that are currently out as well for a more diverse play. One of which adds two more factions with very unique skills and the other adds really fun flying ships and different ending mechanics.

I was very excited to get this board game after reading all of the wonderful reviews on here and elsewhere. When it arrived we really enjoyed all of the beautiful artwork and appreciated how it was relatively easy to set up and play for the first time. During our first two player game (we have played it as a two player game about 10 times, have not tried with a larger group as of yet) we particularly enjoyed the artwork/text on the different encounter cards. This has continued to be a nice feature of the game, but was the most fun when novel. Also have continued to enjoy the different styles of the mecs for each character. The game is well-balanced, however as other reviewers have noted, it has a tendency to end quickly and unexpectedly. After we played through a few times we adjusted to this, but it sometimes can be a bit of a let down when you unexpectedly don't get a last turn that you had been planning for. The game has many different strategies you can take and therefore has a lot of replayability. I would recommend this game to anyone who likes medium complexity games that you can play from 1-5 players (works nicely with two for my husband and I). It does not make it to the very top of my favorite board games, but is in the top 10.

I’ve been playing Scythe for a little over a year or two now. After researching heavy group board game I cane across this one and I knew immediately it was the one. I was 14 or 15 when I bought it and I played mainly with other adult friends and a couple of friends my age. Pros: Insane replay ability Once you pick it up, it’s easy to retain SUPER fun 95% Strategy Competitive Cons: Expansions not cheap 2.5-4+ hours for a game, depending on people and the amount of people (or maybe that’s a pro). ;) Takes a while to explain it to new people Definitely not a party game (oh wait… that’s absolutely a pro) Lots of pieces to loose, but if you’re playing this and cared enough to throw Amazon this much cash and basically pay half of the money needed to send Jeff Bezos to space, then you won’t loose them. (We haven’t) and you can always buy a specific replacement from Stonemaier. The cons mean nothing to me (though maybe to other people) So make like Palpatine and Do It. You won’t regret it. I didn’t get into the gameplay with the review but it’s hands down the best game I’ve ever played. 1-5 players base game 1-7 with the expansion (which are fun and crazy expensive). This is a long term investment, but if you like strategy games that test your limits, and playing games with people, then this is a must have for your collection. Have fun with it! One piece of advice: make sure you have people who would want to play this. Once you have a solid group of 3- 10 people that want to or know how to play, then you know it was unquestionably worth your money. This game is fun with a group, but that group has to want to play it. It’s a pain to teach over and over to new people who come and go. The best games are made of those who have played before. If people don’t want to play it, then trying to play with them ain’t gonna end well. But if you find at least two others that would play, then it’s worth it. So do it Thanks for reading

What a great game. Yes it takes some time to understand it, and even more to master it, and sometimes even more to explain it to someone who wants to play with you, but man is it amazing. Every playthrough is like a new book. Fully emerges you in the world of Scythe. Big win for me is you don't need dice to play. It is turn based. My only wish is that the pieces were more than basic wooden shapes. Would have added a lot of character.

This is an impressive board game. There are a lot of moving parts to win the game, but it is well worth it. I purchased this game for my 12 year for her birthday who loves competition board games. She loves it. The detail and quality of the game is amazing, well made and very well thought out. Highly recommended for advance game players. Only challenge is learning the rules and understanding on your first go... but you get the hang of it once you get started. Love the game so far.

Es un juego profundo en cuanto sus mecánicas, que reduce el componente de aleatoriedad a su mínima expresión, pero que tiene una curva de aprendizaje muy benévola con el jugador. Se aprende a jugar de forma básica muy rápido lo que facilita entrar en partidas largas a los pocos días. Además los dibujos son una maravilla.

Being a person that recently got into the hobby of board games after playing Catan with friends, this game caught my eye immediately. It's a fantastic game, with enough complexity to keep multiple playthroughs competitive and interesting. The character and mech peices are intricate and detailed, and the overall design of the board and cards is beautiful and vibrant. Due to lockdown, we have only played this game among 2 players, but I can't wait to play this with more people, although I may need to get the extension for the board. Even though the learning curve is a bit steep for new players, it is still a game that all board game lovers should have in their collection!

O jogo é maravilhoso de bonito, super bem acabado, veio em perfeito estado!